JumpStart and the Cleveland Browns Announce Partnership to Support Cleveland-Area Small Business Owners

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Aug 22, 2022, 11:00 ET

Event-centered partnership is focused on providing high-impact services and resource connections to Black and Hispanic/Latino-owned small businesses.

CLEVELAND, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JumpStart and the Cleveland Browns are partnering to co-host four events focused on accelerating the growth of Cleveland-area Black and Hispanic/Latino-entrepreneurs. The events, powered by JumpStart in partnership with the Cleveland Browns, will be held at FirstEnergy Stadium; registration is free and open the public, as space remains available.

The free events, held at FirstEnergy Stadium, will create opportunities for small business owners to engage with hands-on workshops, industry-specific advising and networking.

Small Business Impact Program Showcase | August 29 | 5:30 – 8pm
Small Business Training Camp | September 7 | 2 – 7:30pm
First in Tech | October 11
Small Business Impact Program Showcase | December 7 | 5:30 – 8pm

Additional information and links to registration can be found online at JumpStartinc.org/Browns.

The partnership between JumpStart and the Browns will create opportunities for entrepreneurs to engage with free, hands-on workshops, industry-specific advising and networking events, as well as gain access to small business resources.

"Cleveland-based JumpStart is a national leader in providing meaningful mentorship and development resources to minority-owned businesses, and we have a special opportunity through this partnership to address critical economic needs that will benefit Northeast Ohio in both the short and long term," said Haslam Sports Group Senior Vice President, Communications Peter John-Baptiste. "The Cleveland Browns have a long-standing commitment to advancing social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including through Inspire Change, Be the Solution and our community programming. Through these upcoming events led by JumpStart's expertise, we can further strengthen our support of diverse local entrepreneurs and minority-owned business growth, as well as measure the impact to identify new avenues to maximize impact in this area."

JumpStart is committed to helping entrepreneurs grow by providing high-impact services, pathways to capital and critical resource connections. The Browns aim to advance social justice initiatives throughout Northeast Ohio including championing economic mobility for minority and black-owned businesses. This partnership will help bridge resource gaps and accelerate economic outcomes for Black and Hispanic/Latino small businesses throughout the city of Cleveland.

"Locally owned small businesses invigorate our communities by creating jobs, building wealth, contributing to tax revenue and uplifting our neighborhoods so they can thrive," said Teleangé Thomas, Chief Operations and Relationships Officer at JumpStart. "Our partnership with the Cleveland Browns will help us reach more entrepreneurs, deepening our collective impact and increasing access to the critical resources Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses."

About JumpStart

JumpStart is a nationally recognized venture development organization providing capital, services and connections to help entrepreneurs grow, researchers commercialize and corporations innovate. Our mission is to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurship to unlock entire communities. For more information, visit jumpstartinc.org.

About the Cleveland Browns

A member of the National Football League's AFC North division, the Cleveland Browns are operated by Haslam Sports Group (HSG) and have long been among the most iconic and historic professional football clubs. Bolstered by eight league titles, 13 division championships and 17 Pro Football Hall of Famers, the Browns were established in 1945 as a charter team of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The Browns played their inaugural season in 1946 and finished in first place during each of the league's four years of existence (1946-49). Cleveland was one of three AAFC teams selected to merge with the NFL in 1950 and appeared in the league's title game in each of its first seven seasons, claiming three of its four NFL championships overall (1950; 1954-55; 1964) during that stretch. The Browns' 17 Pro Football Hall of Famers, the sixth-most in the NFL, include founder Paul Brown, legends Jim Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza, as well as Marion Motley and Bill Willis, two of the first African-Americans who helped break professional sports' race barrier in 1946. After a relocation to Baltimore in 1995, Cleveland was awarded an expansion franchise that returned to play in 1999, retaining all of the club's history and its namesake. In 2012, Dee and Jimmy Haslam, CEO of Pilot Flying J, purchased a controlling interest of the Cleveland Browns. Their vision for the Browns is to build a consistently winning football team, to take exceptional care of Browns fans and to be leaders in the Northeast Ohio community through the core areas of education, youth football and social justice while promoting volunteerism through the team's signature First and Ten volunteering movement. The Browns, led by Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry, play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium in Downtown Cleveland.